The fifth annual carnival for West Elementary, scheduled Thursday, April 24 from
5:30 to 8 p.m. will also be the first to take in West Middle School as well.
The event is open to the public. A variety of carnival-style games will be offered
in the gym and classrooms. Entrance is free, but ticket cards are needed for the
games. Theses are available in advance (at rates of 50 for $10, or 5 for $1) or at the
door (40 for $10, or 4 for $1), an event flyer states. Students must be accompanied
by adults.
The two public schools share the building and outdoor space in the block of Pikes
Peak Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. With a single principal (Judy
Hawkins) assigned for the first time to both schools in 2013-14, the shared site has
started going by the unofficial name of “West Campus.”
The official name of this year's carnival is the “West Campus Carnival.”
Entry to the event will be through the West Elementary side, at 25 N. 20th St.,
according to Angel Chavez, an elementary teacher who helped found the carnival
in the school's first year of 2009-2010. She and other teachers work with the
school's parent-teacher organization (PTO) on the event planning.
Chavez said that a big goal in expanding the carnival scope this year is to build up
the middle school's PTO. There aren't many parents in it now, but numerous
West Middle School students had attended the elementary, and some of their
parents were involved at that time, she pointed out.
New games will be added this year that might appeal to the older kids from the
middle school, Chavez added.
Volunteers are welcome. Donations of two-liter bottles are also being sought for
the ring-toss game. For more information, call Chavez at 328-4949.